Shakes-Drayton leads the way for GB

Britain won four more medals at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg, with Perri Shakes-Drayton leading the way by storming to gold in the 400 metres ahead of team-mate Eilidh Child.

Shakes-Drayton led from the front and powered to victory in 50.85 seconds, a second personal best in two days and the fastest time in the world this year. The 24-year-old finished more than half a second ahead of fellow hurdles specialist Child, who still lowered her own Scottish record to 51.45secs.

Shana Cox briefly threatened to make it a British clean sweep when she occupied third place after the first lap, but faded in the closing stages and finished sixth as Sweden's Moa Hjelmer delighted the home crowd by taking bronze.

Britain also made up half the field in the men's event, but had to settle for a silver from Nigel Levine, which could be the subject of a protest from the Russian bronze medallist Pavel Trenikhin, with Mukhtar Mohammed adding a bronze in the 800m.

Defending champion Jenny Meadows was fourth in the women's 800m, while world indoor champion Yamile Aldama, 40, was sixth in the triple jump final and Lauren Howarth also sixth in the 3,000m final - which featured a rare false start.

Shakes-Drayton, who should claim a second gold in the 4x400m relay on Sunday afternoon with Olympic silver medallist Christine Ohuruogu to complete the team, said: "I'm really happy with that.

"Everyone had expectations of me getting gold and in my heart of hearts I wanted gold. To be able to deliver and run a world lead, I didn't expect that. It gives me confidence and hopefully I can transfer it over the hurdles.

"I still want to achieve over the 400m hurdles and I haven't fulfilled my potential so to me I'm still a 400m hurdler and I think that gave me an advantage, because I'm used to running over 10 hurdles in a 400m so I'm a lot stronger."

Shakes-Drayton missed out on the Olympic final by just one place last year and admitted: "It kind of made me think I am going to show people what I am about, I am not giving up. With every disappointment I think you get stronger and that's the case with me.

"I was knocked down after things had been going my way and I think you need a setback to come back stronger. I proved that."